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Olive Garden owner confirms plans to shut a third of its restaurants across multiple states
May 20, 2025
A POPULAR restaurant shocked customers and employees when it suddenly shuttered a third of its locations this month.
The chain, notably operated by Olive Garden owner Darden Restaurants, has been around since 1996.
While popular for years, Darden Restaurants' Bahama Breeze saw a 7.7% sales decline in 2024, per CNN.
Amid the struggles, Bahama Breeze decided to abruptly axe at least 15 locations, about a third of its footprint.
Before the closures, Bahama Breeze had expanded to 43 restaurants nationwide by 2014 after its humble beginnings in Orlando, Florida.
The affected locations were in Florida, Illinois, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, and Tennessee.
Kiara Buckner, a spokesperson for Bahama Breeze, said the closures were necessary for the restaurant to put more time and effort into those locations that were performing best.
"Closing a restaurant is a difficult choice because it impacts our team members and guests," Buckner told The Daily Mail.
"However, we believe this is the right decision because it will allow Bahama Breeze to focus on its highest performing restaurants and strengthen the brand's overall performance."
Select staff members at the shuttered Bahama Breeze locations were reportedly offered jobs at other Darden Restaurants-owned brands, like Olive Garden and Longhorn Steakhouse.
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